Condenser arrangement for hvac system

ABSTRACT

A condenser module of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first slab having a first plurality of tubes configured to receive a refrigerant from a compressor of the HVAC system. The first plurality of tubes is arrayed along a first dimension of the first slab. The condenser module also includes a second slab that has a second plurality of tubes configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor. The second plurality of tubes is arrayed along a second dimension of the second slab, the second slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first slab, and the second dimension is greater than the first dimension.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of Chinese Application No. 202011007530, entitled “CONDENSER ARRANGEMENT FOR HVAC SYSTEM,” filed Sep. 23, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Chiller systems, or vapor compression systems, utilize a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes phases between vapor, liquid, and combinations thereof, in response to exposure to different temperatures and pressures within components of the chiller system. The chiller system may place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a conditioning fluid (e.g., water) and may deliver the conditioning fluid to conditioning equipment and/or a conditioned environment serviced by the chiller system. In such applications, the conditioning fluid may be passed through downstream equipment, such as air handlers, to condition other fluids, such as air in a building. In certain chiller systems, ambient air may additionally or alternatively be used to cool the working fluid. For instance, a chiller system may include a condenser having coils through which working fluid may flow. Ambient air may be delivered across the coils to cool the working fluid, thereby enabling the working air to absorb heat from the conditioning fluid to cool the conditioning fluid. Unfortunately, the arrangement of the coils may affect a distribution of air flowing across different sections of the coils, thereby affecting heat transfer and cooling of the working fluid at different sections of the coils.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

In an embodiment, a condenser module of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first slab having a first plurality of tubes configured to receive a refrigerant from a compressor of the HVAC system. The first plurality of tubes is arrayed along a first dimension of the first slab. The condenser module also includes a second slab that has a second plurality of tubes configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor. The second plurality of tubes is arrayed along a second dimension of the second slab, the second slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first stab, and the second dimension is greater than the first dimension.

In an embodiment, a condenser of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first heat exchanger slab and a second heat exchanger slab. The first heat exchanger slab includes a first plurality of tubes configured to receive a first portion of a first refrigerant flow, the first plurality of tubes is arrayed along a first dimension of the first heat exchanger slab, the second heat exchanger slab includes a second plurality of tubes configured to receive a second portion of the first refrigerant flow, the second heat exchanger slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first heat exchanger slab, and the second plurality of tubes is arrayed along a second dimension of the second heat exchanger slab that is greater than the first dimension of the first heat exchanger slab. The condenser also includes a third heat exchanger slab and a fourth heat exchanger slab. The third heat exchanger slab includes a third plurality of tubes configured to receive a third portion of a second refrigerant flow, the third plurality of tubes is arrayed along a third dimension of the third heat exchanger slab, the fourth heat exchanger slab includes a fourth plurality of tubes configured to receive a fourth portion of the second refrigerant flow, the fourth heat exchanger slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the third heat exchanger slab, and the fourth plurality of tubes is arrayed along a fourth dimension of the fourth heat exchanger slab that is greater than the third dimension of the third heat exchanger slab.

In an embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a condenser that has a first slab and a second slab. The first slab includes a first plurality of tubes extending along a first length of the first slab, the first plurality of tubes is configured to receive a refrigerant from a compressor of the HVAC system, the first slab includes a first height transverse to the first length, the second slab includes a second plurality of tubes extending along a second length of the second slab, the second plurality of tubes is configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor, the second slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first slab, and the second slab includes a second height that is transverse to the second length and that is greater than the first height of the first slab.

DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building that may utilize an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVAC system having a condenser with heat exchanger stabs oriented at an angle relative to one another, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of a condenser including heat exchanger slabs oriented at an angle relative to one another, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of condenser slabs oriented at an angle relative to one another, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system (e.g., a chiller system) configured to heat or cool a conditioning fluid (e.g., a liquid). The HVAC system may include a vapor compression system through which a refrigerant is directed. For example, the vapor compression system may include a compressor configured to pressurize the refrigerant. The compressor may direct the pressurized refrigerant to a condenser configured to cool the refrigerant. The cooled refrigerant may then be placed in a heat exchange relationship with the conditioning fluid in an evaporator of the vapor compression system to enable the refrigerant to absorb thermal energy or heat from the conditioning fluid, thereby cooling the conditioning fluid.

In certain embodiments, the condenser may be a free-cooled condenser configured to direct ambient air across heat exchanger coils, such as microchannel coils, through which the refrigerant flows in order to cool the refrigerant via convection. For instance, the condenser may include a fan configured to draw or force air, such as ambient air, across the coils. In some embodiments, the condenser may include multiple heat exchanger slabs that each have a coil or set of coils, and a respective refrigerant flow may be directed through each of the coils. The operation of the fan may direct the air across each of the slabs to cool the respective refrigerant flows. Unfortunately, existing condensers may include slabs arranged or oriented in a manner that may cause the air to flow unevenly across the coils. For example, the flow rate of air across a first slab may be greater than that across a second slab, and the fan and/or the air may therefore provide greater cooling to the refrigerant flowing through the first slab than to the refrigerant flowing through the second slab. Such uneven cooling of the refrigerant flows may inhibit performance, such as an efficiency, of the condenser.

Thus, it is presently recognized that there is a need to improve the cooling of the refrigerant flowing through the condenser coils. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an arrangement of heat exchanger slabs in the condenser to enable the fan and/or the air to provide more even cooling of the respective refrigerant flows directed through the slabs. As an example, each slab may have a substantially rectangular polygonal geometry with heat exchanger tubes that extend across a respective length (e.g., a first dimension) of the slab and that are arrayed along a respective height (e.g., a second dimension) of the slab. A first slab may be oriented approximately upright or generally vertically aligned along a vertical axis (e.g., relative to a direction of gravity), and a second slab may be oriented at an angle with respect to the first slab. The first slab and second slab may each have substantially the same length, while the second slab may have a greater height relative to the height of the first slab. As such, the second slab may have a greater surface area exposed to air flow relative to the surface area of the first slab. For instance, the increased height of the second slab may enable the second slab to accommodate a greater number of coils than that of the first slab. As such, a greater amount (e.g., a greater flow rate) of refrigerant may be directed through the second slab as compared to an amount of refrigerant directed through the first slab. That is, although there is a reduced amount of air flowing across the second slab as compared to an amount of air flowing across the first slab, increasing the size (e.g., a surface area) of the second slab may provide a similar overall amount of cooling for the refrigerant directed through the second slab as compared to the cooling provided to the refrigerant directed through the first slab. Accordingly, the fan may provide substantially even cooling of the respective refrigerant flows directed through the first and second slabs, even though the flow rate of air directed across the second slab may be less than the flow rate of air directed across the first slab. Although the present techniques are primarily discussed with reference to a chiller system, the techniques described herein may be implemented in any suitable HVAC system, such as in a direct expansion system, a heat pump system, and so forth.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an application for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Such systems, in general, may be applied in a range of settings, both within the HVAC field and outside of that field. The HVAC systems may provide cooling to data centers, electrical devices, freezers, coolers, or other environments through vapor-compression refrigeration, absorption refrigeration, or thermoelectric cooling. In presently contemplated applications, however, HVAC systems may be used in residential, commercial, light industrial, industrial, and in any other application for heating or cooling a volume or enclosure, such as a residence, building, structure, and so forth. Moreover, the HVAC systems may be used in industrial applications, where appropriate, for basic cooling and heating of various fluids.

The illustrated embodiment shows an HVAC system for building environmental management that may utilize heat exchangers. A building 10 is cooled by a system that includes a chiller 12 and a boiler 14. As shown, the chiller 12 is disposed on the roof of building 10, and the boiler 14 is located in the basement; however, the chiller 12 and boiler 14 may be located in other equipment rooms or areas next to the building 10. The chiller 12 may be an air cooled or water cooled device that implements a refrigeration cycle to cool water or other conditioning fluid. The chiller 12 is housed within a structure that includes a refrigeration circuit, a free cooling system, and associated equipment such as pumps, valves, and piping. For example, the chiller 12 may be single package rooftop unit that incorporates a free cooling system. The boiler 14 is a closed vessel in which water is heated. The water from the chiller 12 and the boiler 14 is circulated through the building 10 by water conduits 16. The water conduits 16 are routed to air handlers 18 located on individual floors and within sections of the building 10.

The air handlers 18 are coupled to ductwork 20 that is adapted to distribute air between the air handlers 18 and may receive air from an outside intake (not shown). The air handlers 18 include heat exchangers that circulate cold water from the chiller 12 and hot water from the boiler 11 to provide heated or cooled air to conditioned spaces within the building 10. Fans within the air handlers 18 draw air through the heat exchangers and direct the conditioned air to environments within building 10, such as rooms, apartments, or offices, to maintain the environments at a designated temperature, A control device, shown here as including a thermostat 22, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device 22 also may be used to control the flow of air through and from the air handlers 18. Other devices may be included in the system, such as control valves that regulate the flow of water and pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the water, the air, and so forth. Moreover, control devices may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 30. For example, the vapor compression system 30 may be a part of an air-cooled chiller. However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed techniques may be incorporated with a variety of other types of chillers. The vapor compression system 30 includes a refrigerant circuit 34 configured to circulate a working fluid, such as refrigerant, therethrough with a compressor 36 (e.g., a screw compressor) disposed along the refrigerant circuit 34. The refrigerant circuit 34 also includes a flash tank 32, a condenser 38, expansion valves or devices 40, and a liquid chiller or an evaporator 42. The components of the refrigerant circuit 34 enable heat transfer between the working fluid and other fluids (e.g., a conditioning fluid, air, water) in order to provide cooling to an environment, such as an interior of the building 10.

Some examples of working fluids that may be used as refrigerants in the vapor compression system 30 are hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants, for example, R-410A, R-407, R-134a, hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO), “natural” refrigerants like ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or hydrocarbon based refrigerants, water vapor, refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP), or any other suitable refrigerant. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 30 may be configured to efficiently utilize refrigerants having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit or less) at one atmosphere of pressure, also referred to as low pressure refrigerants, versus a medium pressure refrigerant, such as R-134a. As used herein, “normal boiling point” may refer to a boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere of pressure.

The vapor compression system 30 may further include a control panel 44 (e.g., controller) that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 46, a microprocessor 48, a non-volatile memory 50, and/or an interface board 52. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 30 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 54 and a motor 56. The motor 56 may drive the compressor 36 and may be powered by the VSD 54. The VSD 54 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 56. In other embodiments, the motor 56 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 56 may include any type of electric motor that can be powered by the VSD 54 or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 36 compresses a refrigerant vapor and may deliver the vapor to an oil separator 58 that separates oil from the refrigerant vapor. The refrigerant vapor is then directed toward the condenser 38, and the oil is returned to the compressor 36. The refrigerant vapor delivered to the condenser 38 may transfer heat to a cooling fluid at the condenser 38. For example, the cooling fluid may be ambient air 60 forced across heat exchanger coils of the condenser 38 by condenser fans 62. The refrigerant vapor may condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 38 as a result of thermal heat transfer with the cooling fluid (e.g., the ambient air 60).

The liquid refrigerant exits the condenser 38 and then flows through a first expansion device 64 (e.g., expansion device 40, electronic expansion valve). The first expansion device 64 may be a flash tank feed valve configured to control flow of the liquid refrigerant to the flash tank 32. The first expansion device 64 is also configured to lower the pressure of (e.g., expand) the liquid refrigerant received from the condenser 38, During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may vaporize, and thus, the flash tank 32 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 64. Additionally, the flash tank 32 may provide for further expansion of the liquid refrigerant because of a pressure drop experienced by the liquid refrigerant when entering the flash tank 32. (e.g., due to a rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the flash tank 32).

The vapor in the flash tank 32 may exit and flow to the compressor 36. For example, the vapor may be drawn to an intermediate stage or discharge stage of the compressor 36 (e.g., not the suction stage). A valve 66 (e.g., economizer valve, solenoid valve) may be included in the refrigerant circuit 34 to control flow of the vapor refrigerant from the flash tank 32 to the compressor 36. In some embodiments, when the valve 66 is open (e.g., fully open), additional liquid refrigerant within the flash tank 32 may vaporize and provide additional subcooling of the liquid refrigerant within the flash tank 32. The liquid refrigerant that collects in the flash tank 32 may be at a lower enthalpy than the liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser 38 because of the expansion in the first expansion device 64 and/or the flash tank 32. The liquid refrigerant may flow from the flash tank 32, through a second expansion device 68 (e.g., expansion device 40, an orifice), and to the evaporator 42. In some embodiments, the refrigerant circuit 34 may also include a valve 70 (e.g., drain valve) configured to regulate flow of liquid, refrigerant from the flash tank 32 to the evaporator 42. For example, the valve 70 may be controlled (e.g., via the control panel 44) based on an amount of suction superheat of the refrigerant.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 42 may absorb heat from a conditioning fluid, which may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in the condenser 38. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 42 may undergo a phase change to become vapor refrigerant. For example, the evaporator 12 may include a tube bundle fluidly coupled to a supply line 72 and a return line 74 that are connected to a cooling load. The conditioning fluid of the evaporator 42 (e.g., water, oil, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable fluid) enters the evaporator 42 via the return line 74 and exits the evaporator 42 the via supply line 72. The evaporator 42 may reduce the temperature of the conditioning fluid in the tube bundle via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant so that the conditioning fluid may be utilized to provide cooling for a conditioned environment. The tube bundle in the evaporator 42 can include a plurality of tubes and/or a plurality of tube bundles. In any case, the refrigerant vapor exits the evaporator 42 and returns to the compressor 36 by a suction line to complete the refrigerant cycle.

In some embodiments, the condenser may include slabs (e.g., heat exchangers, heat exchanger coils) having respective coils and/or tubes through which the refrigerant is directed. The slabs may be arranged or oriented at an angle relative to one another in a manner that may cause the amount or flow rate of air directed across one of the slabs to be reduced compared to another slab. In other words, air may be directed across a first slab at a first flow rate and across a second slab at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate. For this reason, in accordance with the present techniques, the second slab may have a greater size than the size of the first slab, and the second slab may be oriented at a particular angle to accommodate the size of the second slab within the condenser. The increased size of the second slab may accommodate an increased number or size of coils or tubes, as compared to the size of the first slab. Thus, there is an increased amount of refrigerant that may flow through the coils of the second slab as compared to that flowing through the coils of the first slab. The increased amount of refrigerant may enable the air flow directed across the second slab to provide an overall increased amount of cooling of the refrigerant flowing through the second slab. Indeed, the second slab may be sized to accommodate a greater number of tubes to enable the fan to provide a more evenly distributed amount of cooling between the respective refrigerant flows directed through the first and second slabs so as to improve the cooling provided by the condenser and to improve general operation of the condenser. Further, while the discussion below describes the present techniques implemented with a condenser, it should be appreciated that the disclosed techniques may be implemented with other heat exchangers, such as an evaporator.

With this in mind, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVAC system 100 (e.g., a chiller system) having the condenser 38, which includes multiple condenser fans 62 configured to direct ambient air across heat exchanger coils of the condenser 38 to cool refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger coils. The illustrated condenser 38 includes a first side 102 (e.g., a first lateral side) and a second side 104 (e.g., a second lateral side) that are arrayed along a lateral axis 105 of the condenser 38 and through which respective refrigerants may be directed. Further, the condenser 38 includes six modules 106 (e.g., condenser modules), although other embodiments may include fewer or more modules 106. As used herein, each module 106 may include an assembly (e.g., a heat exchanger assembly) having heat exchanger coils through which the refrigerant may flow for cooling by the condenser fans 62.

In some embodiments, each module 106 may be a part of a separate or individual refrigerant circuit (e.g., a separate vapor compression system 30). Thus, a respective compressor may direct a separate, pressurized refrigerant through each module 106 for cooling. In additional or alternative embodiments, certain modules 106 (e.g., a subset of the modules 106) may be a part of the same refrigerant circuit. By way of example and referring to FIG. 3 , each of the modules 106 on the first side 102 may be a part of a first refrigerant circuit, and each of the modules 106 on the second side 104 may be a part of a second refrigerant circuit. In this manner, a compressor (e.g., a single compressor) may be configured to direct pressurized refrigerant through multiple modules 106 (e.g., to flow in parallel through multiple modules 106, to flow in series through multiple modules 106) for cooling. For example, the first refrigerant circuit and the second refrigerant circuit may have separate compressors. In further embodiments, a single module 106 may be a part of multiple refrigerant circuits. For instance, the first side 102 and the second side 104 may include separate refrigerant circuits, and one of the modules 106 may extend between the first side 102 and the second side 104 and may therefore receive refrigerant from each of the separate refrigerant circuits. In any case, after the refrigerant is cooled within one or more of the modules 106, the refrigerant may be directed out of the modules 106 to flow to another component of the HVAC system 100, such as toward an evaporator in which the refrigerant may condition a conditioning fluid.

Each of the modules 106 may include a first slab 108 (e.g., an exterior or outer heat exchanger slab) and a second slab 110 (e.g., an interior or inner heat exchanger slab) that are oriented at an angle relative to one another. Further, the respective first and second slabs 108, 110 of opposing modules 106 (e.g., along the lateral axis 105) are arranged to cooperatively form a “W” or an “inverted M” shape or geometry. Each slab 108, 110 may include one or more coils or tubing through which refrigerant may flow. In some embodiments, within each module 106, the refrigerant may flow through the slabs 108, 110 and the tubing in a parallel fluid flow arrangement. That is, a refrigerant flow entering one of the modules 106 may be divided into portions that flow through respective coils of the slabs 108, 110 of the module 106, and the condenser fan 62 may direct air flow across the slabs 108, 110 (e.g., coils) to cool each of the portions of the refrigerant flow. The cooled refrigerant portions exiting the coils of the slabs 108, 110 may then combine and be directed to another module 106 or to the evaporator for conditioning the cooling fluid.

In some embodiments, the modules 106 may be coupled to one another and/or to a base 112 (e.g., a base rail, a support base, a base frame) of the HVAC system 100. For example, first supports 114 (e.g., support members, structural members, frame members) may be used to couple the slabs 108, 110 of one of the modules 106 to the base 112, and second supports (not shown) may be used to couple modules 106 (e.g., opposing modules 106 and/or adjacent modules 106 on the same side 102, 104) to one another. The first supports 114 may be coupled to the slabs 108, 110 to elevate each module 106 (e.g., the slabs 108, 110) from the base 112 to form a first space 116 (e.g., a first interior space, a first inner volume) between the base 112 and the modules 106. By way of example, the first space 116 may be an interior or inner volume of the HVAC system 100 in which various equipment (e.g., the compressor 36, the evaporator 12, conduits of the refrigerant circuit[s]) may be disposed, such as by coupling or mounting to the base 112 In certain embodiments, a panel, a screen, a partition, or another suitable covering or barrier may be included to at least partially shield the first space 116 from elements of an ambient or exterior environment. For instance, such coverings may at least partially extend between each of the first supports 114 and between the base 112 and one of the modules 106, thereby blocking the first space 116 from exterior elements, such as dust and/or debris.

Each of the illustrated modules 106 also supports two condenser fans 62 for directing air flow across the respective slabs 108, 110 of the respective module 106. For example, each of the condenser fans 62 may draw ambient air to flow in respective first directions 118 across the first slab 108 and in respective second directions 120 across the second slab 110 of the module 106 having the condenser fans 62. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the first directions 118 may generally extend along the lateral axis 105 to flow from the ambient environment directly across the first slabs 108. However, the orientation of the first slabs 108 relative to the respective second slabs 110 and the coupling of the modules 106 to the base 112 may block or inhibit air from flowing from the exterior environment directly across the second slabs 110. Instead, the air may flow from the exterior environment, beneath the first slabs 108 relative to a vertical axis 122 (e.g., through the covering extending between the base 112 and the modules 106), into the first space 116, and upwardly along the vertical axis 122 to flow across the second slabs 110. As a result, the flow rate (e.g., a volumetric flow rate) of air in the second direction 120 across the second slabs 110 may be less than the flow rate of air in the first direction 118 across the first slabs 108.

For this reason, as further discussed below, each second slab 110 may include a greater surface area that is exposed to air flow as compared to a surface area of each first slab 108 to enable the reduced air flow directed across the second slabs 110 to provide increased cooling of the refrigerant directed through the second slabs 110 (e.g., to provide substantially the same amount of refrigerant cooling as that provided by the air flow directed across the first slabs 108). In other words, the slabs 108, 110 may be sized and/or arranged in a manner that enables more even cooling (e.g., substantially even cooling) of the respective refrigerant flows directed through the slabs 108, 110. Thus, overall cooling of the refrigerant within each module 106, and within the condenser 38 generally, may be improved. For instance, by virtue of the size and arrangement of the slabs 108, 110 of each module 106, a temperature difference between the refrigerant flow (e.g., the combination of the portions of refrigerant flow directed through one or more coils of the first slab 108) at the outlet of the first slab 108 and the refrigerant flow (e.g., the combination of the portions of refrigerant flow directed through one or more coils of the second slab 110) at the outlet of the second slab 110 may be reduced or limited. As such, the size of the second slab 110 (e.g., relative to that of the first slab 108) may facilitate more even cooling of the respective refrigerant flows in the first and second slabs 108, 110, thereby improving efficient operation of the condenser 38.

Although the illustrated condenser 38 includes six modules 106 arranged such that each side 102, 104 includes three modules 106, it should be noted that additional or alternative condensers 38 may include any suitable number of modules 106 arranged in any suitable manner. As an example, each side 102, 104 of the condenser 38 may include one module 106, two modules 106, or more than three modules 106, or the first side 102 of the condenser 38 may include a different number of modules 106 than that of the second side of the condenser 38. Further, each module 106 may include any suitable number of slabs 108, 110. By way of example, a single module 106 may include multiple slabs that form the “W” or “inverted M” shaped configuration. Further still, the condenser 38 may support any suitable number of condenser fans 62, such as more than two condenser fans 62 associated with each module 106, one condenser fan 62 associated with each module 106 and so forth.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the condenser 38, illustrating two opposing modules 106 that are disposed on opposite sides 102, 101 of the condenser 38. The view shown in FIG. 4 is taken along a longitudinal axis of the condenser 38, and the opposing modules 106 are arrayed along the lateral axis 105. Each module 106 includes the first slab 108 oriented at an angle relative to the second slab 110. For instance, each of the first slabs 108 may include a first longitudinal side 140 (e.g., a first surface) along which one or more tubes or coils of the first slabs 108, such as microchannel tubes or coils, extend (e.g., along the longitudinal axis 107) and through which refrigerant is directed. Thus, the condenser fans 62 of each module 106 direct air across the first slab 108 in the first direction 118, which may be transverse or crosswise to the first longitudinal side 140. In addition, each of the second slabs 110 may include a second longitudinal side 142 (e.g., a second surface) along which one or more tubes or coils extend and through which refrigerant is directed. In this way, the condenser fans 62 of each module 106 direct air across the second slab 110 in the second direction 120, which may be transverse or crosswise to the second longitudinal sides 142.

The first longitudinal side 140 of the first slab 108 may be oriented at an acute angle relative to the second longitudinal side 142 of the corresponding second slab 110. In the illustrated condenser 38, the first slab 108 of each module 106 may be in an upright position such that the first longitudinal side 140 is substantially parallel to the vertical axis 122. A first end 144 of each first slab 108 may engage with (e.g., abut, couple to) a respective condenser fan housing 146 of the module 106 that supports the condenser fans 62 of the module 106. A second end 148 of each first slab 108 may engage with (e.g., abut, couple to) one of the first supports 114. Moreover, a third end 150 of each second slab 110 may engage with (e.g., abut, couple to) the same first support 114 engaged with the first slab 108 of the corresponding module 106, A fourth end 152 of each second slab 110 may engage with (e.g., abut, couple to) one or more second supports 154 (e.g., support members, structural members, frame members) that is disposed along a central axis 155 (e.g., extending along the vertical axis 122) of the condenser 38.

By way of example, the second support 154 may be a plate, such as a rectangular plate, beam, or other structural member coupled to the condenser fan housings 146 at the central axis 155 and extending along the vertical axis 122. The second slabs 110 of the opposing modules 106 may engage with opposite sides of the second support 154. In this manner, the slabs 108, 110, the first support 114, and the second support 154 may form a respective second space 156 (e.g., a second interior space, a second inner volume) within each module 106. Operation of the condenser fans 62 may direct (e.g., draw) a first air flow in the first directions 118 across the first slabs 108, into the second spaces 156, and then through the condenser fan housings 146 out of the second spaces 156 in third directions 158, which may be generally upward directions extending along the vertical axis 122. Operation of the condenser fans 62 may also direct (e.g., draw) a second air flow into the first space 116, across the second slabs 110 in the second directions 120, into the second spaces 156, and then out of the second spaces 156 through the condenser fan housings 146 in the third directions 158. As the air flows across the first and second slabs 108, 110, heat is transferred from the refrigerant within the first and second slabs 108, 110 to the air flows. As such, the condenser fans 62 enable heat rejection from the refrigerant flowing through the slabs 108, 110 via the flow of air.

In some embodiments, an angle 160 between each first slab 108 and corresponding second slab 110 (e.g., between the first longitudinal side 140 of the first slab 108 and the second longitudinal side 142 of the second slab 110) may be at least 40 degrees, such as 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 42 degrees, 45 degrees, 50 degrees, 55 degrees, and/or any other suitable angle. Accordingly, the angle between the second longitudinal side 142 and the lateral axis 105 may be between less than 60 degrees, such as 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 45 degrees. 48 degrees, 50 degrees, 55 degrees, or any other suitable angle. In addition, a first height or dimension 162 of the first slab 108 (e.g., a first distance spanning between the first end 144 and the second end 148 of the first slab 108) may be different from a second height or dimension 164 of the second slab 110 (e.g., a second distance spanning between the third end 150 and the fourth end 152 of the second slab 110). As an example, the second height 164 may be substantially greater than the first height 162. As used herein, substantially greater may refer to the second height 164 being greater than the first height 162 by a percentage value of the first height 162, such as by at least 5 percent, by at least 10 percent, by at least 15 percent, or by another suitable percentage of the first height 162. As another example, substantially greater may refer to the second height 164 being greater than the first height 162 by a predetermined or selected amount, such as by 5 centimeters (2 inches), 10 centimeters (4 inches), 15 centimeters (6 inches), or another suitable length. For instance, the first height 162 may be approximately 122 centimeters (48 inches), and the second height 164 may be approximately 132 centimeters (52 inches).

As a result, the surface area of the second slab 110 (e.g., of the second longitudinal side 142) is greater than the surface area of the first slab 108 (e.g., of the first longitudinal side 140), thereby enabling increased refrigerant flow and cooling of the refrigerant, and therefore increased heat rejection of the refrigerant therein, across the second slab 110. The increased surface area of the second slab 110, relative to the first slab 108, may at least partially compensate for air flow restrictions that affect the second slab 110, but not the first slab 108, due to the position of the second slab 110 within the condenser 38.

The first and second heights 162, 164 may be based on a size of the HVAC system 100, such as an overall width 170 of the condenser 38 (e.g., a distance spanned by the opposing modules 106). In any case, in order to accommodate the second height 164 of the second slab 110 and the orientation of the second slab 110 relative to the first slab 108, the third end 150 of the second slab 110 may be positioned ata suitable distance 168 away from the second end 148 of the first slab 108 to enable the second slab 110 to span from the first support 114 to the second support 154.

The illustrated modules 106 are substantially symmetric about the central axis 155. Thus, the first slabs 108 may have substantially the same geometric structure as one another, the second slabs 110 may have substantially the same geometric structure as one another, the first slabs 108 may be oriented relative to the corresponding second slabs 110 at approximately the same angle 160, and so forth. In other words, the arrangement of the first slab 108 and the second slab 110 of opposing modules 106 may be symmetric to one another about the central axis 155. However, in additional or alternative embodiments, opposing modules 106 may be asymmetric about the central axis 155, and respective arrangements of the first slab 108 and second slab 110 may be different for opposing modules 106.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the first slab 108 and the second slab 110 of one of the modules 106 of the condenser 38. For visualization purposes, other components of the module 106, such as the condenser fan housing 146, are not illustrated in FIG. 5 . In the illustrated example, each of the slabs 108, 110 includes a respective set of tube or coils 200 (e.g., microchannel tubes or coils) through which refrigerant is directed, such as from the compressor 36. In some embodiments, the tubes 200 of first slab 108, the tubes 200 of the second slab 110, or both, have a single pass arrangement, and each of the tubes 200 may be in a parallel fluid flow arrangement relative to one another, and refrigerant discharged by the compressor 36 may be divided, such as by a manifold of the condenser 38, to flow through any of the tubes 200 of one of the slabs 108, 110 in a single pass. That is, the refrigerant may flow a single time across a length 202 of the slab 108, 110. In additional or alternative embodiments, the tubes 200 of first slab 108, the tubes 200 of the second slab 110, or both, have a multiple pass arrangement such that the refrigerant may flow through one of the slabs 108, 110 in multiple passes. For example, each tube 200 of a first set of the tubes 200 of one of the slabs 108, 110 may receive refrigerant from the compressor 36 for cooling the refrigerant, After flowing through a tube 200 of the first set of tubes 200, the refrigerant may then be redirected (e.g., by a header of the condenser 38) to flow through another tube 200 of a second set of tubes 200, where the refrigerant is further cooled. In this manner, the refrigerant through multiple tubes 200 to flow multiple times across the length 202 of the slab 108, 110. In any case, refrigerant may flow from the compressor 36, through one or more of the tubes 200 along the length 202 transverse to the first and second heights 162, 164, and toward the evaporator 42. Indeed, each of the tubes 200 may extend substantially the same length 202, and each of the refrigerant flows may therefore be directed across substantially the same distance through the slabs 108, 110 before flowing to the one or more evaporators 42 of the HVAC system 100.

The length 202 each tube 200 may extend along the longitudinal axis 107, and the tubes 200 may be offset from one another and arrayed along the respective heights 162, 164 of the slabs 108, 110. Air that is directed across either of the slabs 108, 110 (e.g., in respective directions transverse to the longitudinal sides 140, 142) may flow across the tubes 200 to cool the refrigerant flowing through the tubes 200. Thus, during operation of the HVAC system 100, heat may transfer from the refrigerant, to the tubes 200, and to the air directed across the tubes 200, thereby cooling the refrigerant. In certain embodiments, each slab 108, 110 may also include fins that extend between adjacent tubes 200 to enable greater heat transfer between the refrigerant and the air, thereby increasing cooling of the refrigerant. For example, in addition to heat transfer from the refrigerant to the tubes 200, heat may also transfer from the refrigerant and/or tubes 200 to the fins, and the air may absorb heat from the fins and the tubes 200.

As discussed above, the second height 164 of the second slab 110 is greater (e.g., substantially greater) than the first height 162 of the first slab 108. As such, the second slab 110 may accommodate a greater number of tubes 200 than the first slab 108 may accommodate. In the illustrated embodiment, the second slab 110 includes sixteen tubes 200, and the first slab 108 includes fifteen tubes 200, but the second slab 110 may include any suitable number of tubes 200 that is greater than the number of tubes 200 of the first slab 108. For this reason, the second slab 110 includes a greater surface area of tubes 200 exposed to air than that of the first slab 108 and may therefore accommodate a greater amount of refrigerant flow than that of the first slab 108. The greater surface area of exposure may enable more even cooling of the respective refrigerant flows directed through the slabs 108, 110 (e.g. in a single pass arrangement, in a multiple pass arrangement), even though the flow rate of the air across the second slab 110 may be less than the flow rate of the air across the first slab 108.

Further still, increasing the number of tubes 200 in the module 106 may reduce or limit a pressure drop of the refrigerant flow directed through the condenser 38. In particular, increasing the number of tubes 200 available for refrigerant flow may reduce a velocity of the refrigerant flowing through each of the tubes 200. The reduction m velocity may reduce a pressure loss due to friction and therefore reduce a pressure drop of the refrigerant. Thus, the pressure loss of the modules 106 having the described arrangement and relative sizes of the first slab 108 and second slab 110 may be less than the pressure loss of existing condensers in which slabs have the same number of tubes and/or have a common size. As such, the described arrangement and relative sizing of the first slab 108 and the second slab 110 may improve performance, such as an efficiency, of the condenser 38. For instance, the reduction in the pressure loss may enable certain components (e.g., the compressor 36) to operate at a lower power to achieve a desirable flow rate (e.g., volumetric flow rate) of refrigerant through the condenser 38, thereby reducing energy consumption associated with operation of the HVAC, system 100. Additionally or alternatively, the same operational power utilized in existing systems may provide an increased flow rate (e.g., volumetric flow rate) of the refrigerant through the condenser 38 having the presently disclosed module 106 configuration, thereby increasing conditioning (e.g., cooling) provided by the refrigerant for the conditioning fluid.

As set forth above, the present disclosure may provide one or more technical effects useful in the operation of an HVAC system. For example, the HVAC system may include a condenser configured to cool refrigerant flowing through the HVAC system. The condenser may have slabs that each include coils through which the refrigerant may be directed, and the slabs may be oriented at an angle relative to one another. For instance, an outer slab may be oriented in an upright position, and an inner slab may be oriented at an acute angle relative to the outer slab. Such arrangement of the slabs may be susceptible to a reduced flow rate of air directed across the inner slab. For this reason, the inner slab incorporating the present techniques may be sized to have a greater surface area, such as a greater height and/or a greater number of coils through which the refrigerant may flow, relative to that of the outer slab. Increasing the surface area of the inner slab may enable more even cooling of the respective refrigerant flows through the slabs, even with the reduced flow rate of air across the inner slab, thereby improving operation of the condenser (e.g., cooling provided by the condenser, efficiency of the condenser). Furthermore, increasing the number of coils available for the refrigerant to flow through may reduce a pressure drop of the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. As a result, the performance, such as efficiency, of the condenser is improved. The technical effects and technical problems in the specification are examples and are not limiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.

While only certain features of present embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. Further, it should be noted that certain elements of the disclosed embodiments may be combined or exchanged with one another.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function]. . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). 

1. A condenser module of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a first slab comprising a first plurality of tubes configured to receive a refrigerant from a compressor of the HVAC system, wherein the first plurality of tubes is arrayed along a first dimension of the first slab; and a second slab comprising a second plurality of tubes configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor, wherein the second plurality of tubes is arrayed along a second dimension of the second slab, the second slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first slab, and the second dimension is greater than the first dimension.
 2. The condenser module of claim 1, wherein the second dimension is greater than the first dimension by at least 5 percent, by at least 10 percent, or by at least 15 percent of the first dimension.
 3. The condenser module of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of tubes comprises a first number of tubes, the second plurality of tubes comprises a second number of tubes, and the second number of tubes is greater than the first number of tubes.
 4. The condenser module of claim 1, comprising a condenser fan housing, wherein the first slab is coupled to the condenser fan housing.
 5. The condenser module of claim 4, comprising a condenser fan supported by the condenser fan housing, wherein the condenser fan is configured to direct a first air flow across the first slab and a second air flow across the second slab during operation of the condenser fan.
 6. The condenser module of claim 1, where the first plurality of tubes, the second plurality of tubes, or both, comprise microchannel tubes.
 7. The condenser module of claim 1, wherein the first slab and the second slab are arranged in a parallel fluid flow arrangement.
 8. The condenser module of claim 1, wherein the first slab is an exterior slab of the condenser module, and the second slab is an interior slab of the condenser module.
 9. The condenser module of claim 1, wherein the first slab is oriented generally vertically.
 10. A condenser of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a first heat exchanger slab and a second heat exchanger slab, wherein the first heat exchanger slab comprises a first plurality of tubes configured to receive a first portion of a first refrigerant flow, the first plurality of tubes is arrayed along a first dimension of the first heat exchanger slab, the second heat exchanger slab comprises a second plurality of tubes configured to receive a second portion of the first refrigerant flow, the second heat exchanger slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first heat exchanger slab, and the second plurality of tubes is arrayed along a second dimension of the second heat exchanger slab that is greater than the first dimension of the first heat exchanger slab; and a third heat exchanger slab and a fourth heat exchanger slab, wherein the third heat exchanger slab comprises a third plurality of tubes configured to receive a third portion of a second refrigerant flow, the third plurality of tubes is arrayed along a third dimension of the third heat exchanger slab, the fourth heat exchanger slab comprises a fourth plurality of tubes configured to receive a fourth portion of the second refrigerant flow, the fourth heat exchanger slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the third heat exchanger slab, and the fourth plurality of tubes is arrayed along a fourth dimension of the fourth heat exchanger slab that is greater than the third dimension of the third heat exchanger slab.
 11. The condenser of claim 10, wherein the first heat exchanger slab, the second heat exchanger slab, the third heat exchanger slab, and the fourth heat exchanger slab are arranged to form an inverted M-shaped configuration.
 12. The condenser of claim 10, wherein a first arrangement of the first heat exchanger slab and the second heat exchanger slab and a second arrangement of the third heat exchanger slab and the fourth heat exchanger slab are symmetric to one another about a central axis of the condenser.
 13. The condenser of claim 10, comprising a plurality of condenser modules, wherein a first condenser module of the plurality of condenser modules comprises the first heat exchanger slab and the second heat exchanger slab, and a second condenser module of the plurality of condenser modules comprises the third heat exchanger slab and the fourth heat exchanger slab.
 14. The condenser of claim 13, wherein the plurality of condenser modules comprises six condenser modules.
 15. The condenser of claim 13, wherein each condenser module of the plurality of condenser modules comprises two condenser fans.
 16. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a condenser comprising a first slab and a second slab, wherein the first slab comprises a first plurality of tubes extending along a first length of the first slab, the first plurality of tubes is configured to receive a refrigerant from a compressor of the HVAC system, the first slab comprises a first height transverse to the first length, the second slab comprises a second plurality of tubes extending along a second length of the second slab, the second plurality of tubes is configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor, the second slab is oriented at an acute angle relative to the first slab, and the second slab comprises a second height that is transverse to the second length and that is greater than the first height of the first slab.
 17. The HVAC system of claim 16, comprising a condenser fan housing, a first support member, and a second support member, wherein the second support member is coupled to the condenser fan housing, a first end of the first slab is coupled to the condenser fan housing, a second end of the first slab is coupled to the first support member, a third end of the second slab is coupled to the first support member, and a fourth end of the second slab is coupled to the second support member.
 18. The HVAC system of claim 17, comprising a base, wherein the first support member is coupled to the base, such that the first slab and the second slab are elevated from the base to form an interior space within the HVAC system.
 19. The HVAC system of claim 16, wherein the acute angle is at least 35 degrees.
 20. The HVAC system of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of tubes, the second plurality of tubes, or both, have a multiple pass flow arrangement. 